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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — a permit
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com